Explosive. Freakishly athletic. Those are not words that are usually applicable to Wisconsin players under Bo Ryan, but for Alando Tucker, they are a perfect fit. Added to his incredible physical talent were his very solid fundamentals, which turned him into one of the most prolific scorers in not only the Big 10, but in the country.
Unlike most Wisconsin players, Tucker played many minutes and excelled as a freshman. He averaged 12 points and 6 rebounds per game and was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team. After sitting out the next year with an injury, Tucker bounced back in a huge way, increasing his scoring to 15 points per game. He then upped his average to 19 points for his junior campaign.
In his senior season, Tucker reached unprecedented success, both in terms of individual stats and team wins. He was regarded as one of the best players in the country. He scored 19.9 points per game, which is the highest single season point average of any player to suit up for Bo Ryan. For his offensive prowess, Tucker was awarded Big 10 Player of the Year over future #1 overall pick Greg Oden. He was a consensus All-American First Team member, and finished second place in the National Player of the Year voting, behind only Kevin Durant. He also led his team to a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, something that had never before been accomplished in Wisconsin Basketball history.
Tucker still leaves his mark on Wisconsin Basketball through the record books. He’s not only Wisconsin’s all-time leading scorer, but he’s the Big 10’s All-Time Leading Scorer. Think about some of the great players that have played in the Big 10. Alando Tucker scored more than every single one of them. It’s really amazing how productive Tucker was. He also has attempted more free throws and made more field goals than any other player in Big 10 history. So yeah, Tucker was pretty good.
Tucker was also great for the highlight reel. A few of his plays are still among the most memorable in Wisconsin history, like the famed Taylor to Tucker play.
Dickie V’s commentary is equally amazing as the play itself.
Some people may even argue that due to Tucker’s consistency as a scorer, he should be number one on this list. It’s certainly a valid argument, but Tucker falls short for just one reason. Frank Kaminsky took Bo Ryan to his first two Final Four’s. I’ve never been a huge proponent of using team success to argue a player’s greatness, but in this case, it definitely matters. So like in the National Player of the Year voting, he’ll once again be the runner-up. Kevin Durant and Frank Kaminsky. Not exactly a bad pair of players to be stuck behind.
Come back on Thursday for #1. You’ll be surprised… No, I’m just kidding. It’s Frank. But come back anyway.
The Rest of the Top 10